Giving youth the skills to belong

The 30-bed youth justice facility in Mohaka Street was buzzing with excitement last week as they prepared for the annual fundraising event, Relay for Life. The young men, aged 14 to 17 years old, had been working hard over the past few weeks preparing for their own 24-hour walk being held at the residence.

"I want to do the whole 24 hours," said one young man, while another added, "me too".

The eagerness of the young men is a representation of what is expected here at the Te Au rere a te Tonga Youth Justice Residence.

A young person is ordered by the courts to stay at the facility where an opportunity is created for the him to change his life - and some may do so without getting a criminal conviction.

"These young men are here because they can't live in the community for a while," said residential manager Kyle Kuiti.

Mr Kuiti said the environment was "softened" with their main focus on reducing reoffending by way of positive interaction. The causes of the offending are addressed and staff then come up with the best response.

The staff are specifically trained to teach these young men the basics of every day life including swimming, cooking, budgeting and exercising. The youths are expected to attend school and if they are making the transition into work, they will be placed on work experience.

"We focus on motivating these teens with positive engagement," explained Mr Kuiti. "Being taken away from their loved ones and their environment is hard enough so, we are about rehabilitation - not punishment."

Mr Kuiti said teaching these young men how to survive in the community was essential.

"A lot of the time when these young men arrive they have issues like alcohol and drug addictions, or they have come from a gang environment. They are often without the basic lifeskills you need to survive so, for both us and the boys, we need structure."

Team leader Tasi Tuhana said many of these men have high needs and it's about making a plan to move forward.

Research also shows that when plans are put in place that respond to an offenders needs, the likelihood of re-offending is reduced. "Most of these young men will return to the community so we have to prepare them for that transition while they are here," he said.